Welcome to the flow state when you’re knitting. I find my best most enjoyable knitting happens when I give it my attention. And I enjoy it, and I allow myself to move with the pattern. And what we’re entering when we do that is called a flow state. And working on anything in a flow state is the most optimal way I have found to do anything. I think a lot of us do exactly what you described where were saying the pattern as we’re moving with the pattern whether out loud or internally. It’s a wonderful thing to knit in a flow state, I’m glad you found it. It’s extremely beneficial for your mental health and for helping soothe any kind of anxiety or feelings of being overwhelmed in our modern world I like it very much.
I love being part of your knitting journey. Your thoughts mirror my own. Your experience of knitting the lace is what knitting is all about. It’s the beauty and rhythm and meditative mindfulness that’s makes knitting therapeutic. There is room in our knitting lives for both project and process knitting. Enjoy the process!
I recommend using a lifeline for lace- it seems like a hassle but helps. I love using stitch markers for each repeat, you might try two different colors, one for each 'brick' position. Both could stay in place, just mark the lace chart with colored pencil/marker to match the corresponding stitch markers. I use A LOT of 'crutches' when I knit lace and it helps me when my mind wanders and I lose my place. Which is often😉
Your Colorwork is absolutely gorgeous !!!!congrats on 9,000 what an amazing achievement ..can't wait to watch next week have a great week love ya. Aunt V.
I spent the first few years of my knitting journey racing to knit through projects like it was my job and there was some penalty for not finishing them as soon as possible. It wasn’t my job and I quickly learned that the reason that I fell in love with knitting was because of the beautiful act of creating stitches with intention. This realization changed my outlook completely. I now work hard to fully savor my knitting practice (which is an amazing privilege) and I try to imbue each project with wonderful memories that greet me every time I wear them. ✨
I just have to say i really resonated with your idea of slowing down and being mindful about knitting. Im a new mum and baby is now 2 months old and i can say my knitting has really taken a hit. However, now whenever i get the chance to knit i am really appreciative of each stitch i get to make. Thank you for reminding us of this!
First of all congratulations! I hope you can find peace and every stitch-I can just imagine sweet knitting lullabies being sung to baby while you stitch away!! 💛
Re; the dry-feeling cone; have you tried giving your swatch a HOT soapy wash? Don't agitate too much, rinse in hot water, and dry it and see what it's like. In my experience cones can get dusty, and that combined with stale machine oil can make it crusty! Remember you can was wool in soap and hot water, just make sure you don't rinse cold and you'll be fine!
I am working on a lacy cowl right now and I have also had to learn the hard way that I can only do a couple rows at a time until my mind wanders or gets tired and I need to take a break.
Thank you so much for sharing your romanticized knitting technique. I listen to thunderstorms with a solo chello when I sleep or study. This week, I'm going to try knitting with that playing. What a fantastic perspective!
Congrats on the followers! In regards to the stockinette project: have you considered a felted bag for the hotdog yarn? I'm not sure that a skirt will fully mitigate the itchiness factor. You will need to find the ball band to ensure that the yarn is fully natural fiber. You could also cast on your stripe project with the autumnal yarn skeins. It would be a larger quantity than you were hoping to buy; but, you could buy yarn for the base color and that wouldn't technically break your stash bust spring rules
I love how you were conducting your stitches. That's just a beautiful way to create. Your color work sweater is absolutely stunning, and I want one. Congratulations 🎉 on 9k!!!! That's such an acknowledgment. Happy knotting💚🧶💚
Congrats on 9,000+! 🎉 it’s things like your discovering how to slow down and dance with the stitches and your anything is possible cheery attitude that bring us back. I follow several knitting podcasts, but AKA Nora Knits and Wool Needles Hands are the only two that I never ever miss. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Your FIRST colorwork project is amazing! You are so brave and so talented. I am trying to become a better sock knitter, so I keep a pair of vanilla socks going at all times. That gives me stockinette knitting when I need it, but I try to use a really beautiful skein of yarn so that even though the knitting is mindless, I get so much joy each time I look at the yarn.
Thank you so much! I think I need to grab some 9in circulars to see if that will get my sock mojo going. I do love that idea to use particularly exciting yarn!
I'm a very new knitter but a longtime pianist, you're for sure describing 'flow'! I hope to get to that level with knitting one day, for now my knitting is similar to when I was first learning the piano... clunky, missed notes, slamming the fallboard in frustration, etc. 😆
I love recognizing those parallels across hobbies! And what a a perfect reminder that everything has to start at the beginning and look how far you can go!
Thank you for showing the tub, I need a larger sink to block in and this is a much smaller and cost effective way to get that without going out to buy a new one! 🎉
I love your musical knitting insight. 💕 Being a Yogini I sometimes will chant while knitting. The mantra depends on the project. This way the knit is infused with that energy.
Your new blocking tub also has a little hole on the side, so you could hang it on the wall somewhere if you want too. I love hanging things so I can see them.
You have to know how much we love your podcast. You are so fun to watch and the musician, dance, theme makes so much sense. I feel like this was a knitting Ted talk. Your sweater is beautiful and I noticed that in your pre blocking section you had a natural face. Just as beautiful with and without make up. Love your tub and basket. I took your suggestion and got the outdoor rocking chair. Im loving it. Thank you for your inspiration. Yay 9000. Not surprised.
Thank you so so so so SO much! Your comment about the Ted talk made me chuckle 😂 I’d love to host my own Ted talk! And thank you so much for saying that. I admit that I was a little nervous about posting such a stark before and after with and without makeup, so I genuinely do appreciate the compliment very much. YOU GOT THE CHAIR! I’m so excited we’re back in outdoor knitting season! Thank you all around. I really appreciate it 🥰
I needed to hear the “romanticizing your yarn” speech so much. That is how I am feeling on my colourwork skirt. I have been tinking almost every row. So I’m going to try your mentality!
Definitely do!!! I highly recommend being home alone or heading out to a park or something where you can just isolate yourself and focus solely on the knitting! Can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Talking about lace, I've taken a class and the gauge swatch for the stockinette was the same cast on amount as the lace swatch. Then, the teacher had us lay swatches on top of each of the swatches for comparison. It really worked because it is the same stitch count. Nora, thanks so much for sharing! I can hardly wait for Saturday to see what you've been up to❤❤❤
Oooooo!!! Fun!!! 🤩 I thought it was one entry per person, but I have three #stashbustspring projects, using yarn I’ve had in my stash for anywhere from 8 months to over a year!!! One project is using about 7 skeins (cable v-neck pullover), one is using 4 (Stephen West’s Exploration Station shawl) and one will probably use 3 (a summer Tee)…for a total of 14 skeins stash-busted & turned into gorgeous FOs!!! 🎉🎉🎉 I’m so excited for this encouragement to “shop from my stash” when I decide which project to start next. 🥰
Absolutely love your colorwork sweater. Perfect fit. One of the things I do when knitting is think about the people in my life that are facing challenges and saying prayers for them for health, healing etc. I also do the same with my own challenges and the world challenges. It is a good way of being mindful and making my projects mean something. Each stitch is a prayer for good.
Thank you for your description of how you knitted lace. I’m prepping to knit lace for the first time, I think this process will help me and will be enjoyable as well 😊❤
Hi Nora, the Kromatic top on Ravelry is all stockinette in the round. Circular yolk and great for stash busting, I'm knitting on it now. Great podcast xx
I absolutely loved hearing you talk about the process of knitting the lace on the Sari Nordlund tank and comparing it to a musician. It was beautiful! You have a way with words that is quite captivating!
Hi Nora! I recommend the Summer Soufflé top by Laura Penrose. It’s the perfect stockinette in the round knit. I’ve really been enjoying your videos! Thank you for sharing!
#StashBustSpring Absolutely loving this project. So far I’ve finished an adult cardigan, two shrugs (1 kid, 1 toddler), and a sunglasses pouch! I’m currently working on a toddler sweater, a bucket hat, and an emotional support chicken 😍 thanks for hosting, it’s been very motivating!
Another great episode! Re gauge swatching- for patterns with a repeat, I find it easier to measure the length of 1/2/3 repeats then dividing accordingly to get the 10cm gauge. For instance, if I have a 30 stitch repeat that takes 13.5cm to do once, that works out to 22.2 stitches per 10cm. I find it way easier to do it this way than to count stitches and have to decide what to do with half stitches etc. Just simple division :)
Well earned 9K subscribers! You videos are very entertaining and you definitely put more effort into them than most! You deserve super speedy growth on this channel. Keep up the great work!
I get what you mean about talking to yourself with lace, I made a Chevron baby blanket and I talked to myself like what you were saying and I enjoyed it.
I love your colour work sweater. The pie crust neck is delicious. I am just completing my first colour work ( your plans for 2023 podcast definitely was the inspiration for this). Mine is in 12ply (chunky) yarn so being a bit loosey goosey doesn’t look too noticeable. I think blocking will make it really sing. I am so grateful to you for being a brave newish knitter because it means if I see something I want to try and knit I now think WWND - what would Nora do!
Isn't that just so fun?? Thank you! I should try colorwork in something chunkier next--thank you for sharing!! WWND!!! 😂 okay I love that! Hahahaha thank you so much!!
Your sweater looks lovely! Love your thoughts on your lace project. We're making beautiful things: we should take time over them and enjoy the process. I love your collapsible basin. Brilliant idea. Think I will look for one of them for myself. I am almost finished the first sleeve of my colour work jumper. So close to being done. I'm casting on a cardigan with luxury wool next 😊
I had to smile when you were talking about your lace knitting experience but that is always what happens to me. Step 1: knit a row. Step 2: tink back coz I've made a mistake. Step 3: rpt steps 1 and 2 over and over. Step 4: put knitting in the Naughty corner. Step 5: frog the whole thing. Step 6: start over and find it miraculously easier!
Beautiful job on your Azucena sweater. I had the pleasure of seeing this sweater and the designer at Vogue Knitting Live 2024. Definitely on my list this year. Enjoyable podcast as always and relatable when knitting lace. Listening to your podcast brought back wonderful memories of when I started knitting lace. Currently knitting a MKAL lace pattern with Roma Hill.
I've definitely done that rhythmic "dance" with more complicated crochet patterns. I never thought of it quite so romantically, though! I really think there's a beauty in frogging and starting over, where the first time through is a struggle, and the second time there's a patience and confidence to do it right.
Socks are mostly stockinette in the round and are portable, pretty quick gratification and could be a palette cleanser….and could use stash yarn you have shown us…❤Just saying 😉
Your frustration with the vest reminded me of my frustration with a shawl I’ve been trying to knit. After hours spent trying to troubleshoot and fix it, knitting and then ripping out, then putting it in time out for a few months to only come back and get super frustrated again, I’ve made the call to frog it. I still want to make it at some point but for my own sanity I had to take it out of my WIPs and admit defeat for the time being. 😅
Was watching a machine knitter and she mentioned an interesting fact. The yarns made for machine knitting are waxed (sometimes oiled) to keep the fluff down. So these swatches will really bloom once washed.
Oh my gosh, Nora. I could sit and talk about the frustrations, challenges, and ultimate dance of knitting lace for hours! What you described has happened to me. "Oh, I'm at the end of a row, and I'm a stitch off, no biggie, just add one and keep going." It doesn't work. I am going to think about my knitting as a musical instrument from now on. I LOVE that. ❤🎻🪗🎷🥁🪇
I think it’s my crochet background that makes it seem so easy to just worry about those mistakes later 😂 we’ll all be swaying with our knitting from now on!!
I've never thought about it in the same romantic light, but I always find myself turning my lace repeats into songs. 🎶Yarn over, knit two together, knit three, yarn over...🎶 I love that image of the violinist moving with their instrument! For #StashBustSpring, I've finished a toddler dress and am now working on an improvised cardigan, both out of yarns that have been lingering in my stash for a year and a half now. It's been exciting to finally use them up!
That’s exactly what I do! I enjoy making the little knitting songs 😂 that is amazing that you’ve found ways to bust the deep stash!! I’m so glad you’re getting to!
Congrats on 9k, Nora!!! I’ve been here since Ep 1 and while I’m not surprised at all by your success, I’m very excited for you 🥳🥳 thanks for sharing your joy with us each week!
Congratulations on 9,000! You have earned every single one! Great episode, especially the lace focus. It is super hard in today's world to shut out and truly concentrate and when it happens it can be magic. Maybe for your stockinette project you can knit up a ribbed hat with the leftover yarn from your colorwork sweater, alternating like the beautiful ribbed cuffs and hem. Anyway, thanks for a lovely hour!
Being able to slow down and enjoy the process is one of the reasons I love knitting. Really helps me get into a more meditative state for my chaotic brain lol
Your Azucena is gorgeous! Such an elegant piece for your wardrobe. Your comparison of knitting and music is spot on. 3 of my 4 daughters are professional musicians (pianist/conductor, violinist, and cellist). When they become comfortable with a piece of music, you can see the expression come through their body movement as if the music is flowing through them effortlessly. It does seem that when we are fully present with our knitting, things just flow in the same way.
It’s that rhythm that is the meditative, relaxing and stress reducing part of knitting! Yay for you! I totally found that out in my first mosaic pattern. Your sweater is just stunning!
Hi Nora!! Another great podcast. I love the sweater you had on. You are so talented. I could listen to you all day. How is that cutie pie Osi. see you next time.
I think this is one of your best episodes! I loved learning about how you took control of a difficult pattern and your new tools to make knitting streamlined! I just loved it!
i’m a very monogamous knitter who only buys yarn when i intend on casting on a project but i did have some stash from a scarf i intended on knitting and never did. i’m currently making the audrey top with it because i needed a mindless knit for some super long flights im taking this week! #stashbustspring
44:29 for me, knitting lace is so much exactly as knitting cables. I don’t usually do anything much more than following the chart or following the instruction. It’s never been a mindless knit for a cable or lace for me. I always put the chart or the pattern in front of me to be focused, it’s not time for watching or listening to any podcasts or my thoughts. And sometimes I only need that I need to zone out from other things just focus on knitting not anything else.
So interesting how everyone is different! I’ve always found a rhythm with cables that gets more and more comfortable for me. Lace, on the other hand, constantly keeps me on my toes! I appreciate the opportunity to turn off the outside noise though!
You absolutely earned all those subscribers!! I knew from your first one that you were going to rule!! Love the "gingerbread" pullover and I'm going to a local yarn festival this weekend and buying yarn for it. I might try to do the pearls while knitting (or not!!). As far as lace, ugh, I feel ya!!! The latest lace shawl I was starting had YO and then purl which I'd forgotten means double YO's or the stitch ct. will be messed up. So frustrating!!! Frogged and repurposing the yarn into a Salty Air Tee by Samantha Guerin and I'm loving it. Love you, love your show. The other day my 5 yr old granddaughter named Nora called me and said, Its Nora and I immediately started singing your jingle!!
Thank you so much!!! I hope you were able to find yarn! It's seriously such a well-balanced fun knit!! That kind of little mix up would have me sending the project into the corner too 😂 I'm glad you found a great solution for it!! Thank you so much! That is too funny about little Nora!!! I love hearing stories like that--thank you so much! Please tell little Miss Nora that I say hey!!
Oh Nora, thank you for normalizing making mistakes along your knitting journey. I'm going through a similar thing with my Cumulus tee, which I'm knitting in KFO pure silk on 2.75mm needles. I thought, oh, it's just a fingering weight raglan t-shirt, easy peasy! But as I was going, I kept realizing that my stitch counts on the two front chest panels were off...it's a V neck, so I knew if those were off, the V wouldn't be centered in my chest. I tried frogging back to a place where I thought I could fix it several times over several days, but no matter what I did to try to fix it, purl-side increases, double increases, etc., it never evened out. I finally decided to frog completely back and start over...and I'm so grateful that I did. I must have miscounted my cast on, or where I placed the original raglan stitch markers, because now I'm about halfway back to what I frogged, and everything has worked out the way it always should have. If I've learned anything in my last year of knitting, it is absolutely worth taking my time to fix the issues when I see them instead of plowing through and hoping I'll know how to fix them later. I usually don't, and I always end up frogging back anyway. Normalizing that part of this journey has allowed me to have so much more grace for myself.
Please please please continue to allow yourself to make the mistakes and learn from them!!! I promise you are not the only one, we all do it and it’s just part of the process!! I’m so proud of you for chugging along and am so glad you’ve found that grace! 💛
I totally agree on cable/lace knitting, find the rhythm of the stitches and turn it into a dance ... I find classic music is what I listen to and get in the the romanticized mode....
Hi Nora! Love your sweater - definite gingerbread man vibes 🙂 Having fun knitting from stash at the moment - using an undyed yarn and some beautiful local-to-me dyed yarn to make a pressed flowers shawl for my Auntie's birthday. Also learning to crochet and trying my hand at the mystical lanterns motif rather than just a basic granny square, so decided to use some mystery merino/nylon minis held double. Good luck with your lace knitting! Love the knitting dance 💛
Welcome to Mindful Knitting. Your description of your lace knitting dance reminded me of what that concept means. Enjoy. It's looking good. You're a talented knitter, Nora.
Here in the first hour! #StashBustSpring goes well so far for me, I have started and finished the Soda Fountain top from drops design with 250 Gr from stash and now I knit on Daisy lane top also from stash, thank you very much for starting this challenge!
I get the mindful knitting thing. I have a few strategies for when my head and hands are not connecting or I am struggling with a more difficult stitch and everything keeps going wrong. One is an internal monologue where I 'narrate' my stitches as if I was giving an online tutorial - it really makes me focus on getting those stitches right, paying attention and really 'seeing' the stitches as I knit them being mindful of the best technique. Another, because I am terrible at counting and lose track way too easily, I do something like count out loud in a foreign accent (my current project, I am doing counts in a welsh accent for example). It means I have to focus on what each number sounds like and I am less likely to skip or forget numbers. Both mean I am entirely fixed on what I am doing and all those intrusive thoughts go away. I guess that sounds completely insane...but whatever works, right?
Now that you've learned to recognize how your lace pattern connects, reading lace gauge will be easier for you! You know how many stitches are in your repeat, so measure between the same place in the pattern (usually some central or recognizable column of stitches travelling through the pattern) across a couple of the repeats. Know you know how many stitches that was (maybe you measured 3 of a 8 stitch repeat - that's 24 st!) and know how long you measured, and you can math it around to however the pattern gave you gauge. Maybe across those 24 st you measured 4.75 inches - That would give you about 20 st in 4 in if that is the way the pattern gave you gauge (some lace patterns will instead tell you that 1 repeat = 1.25 in or something like that)
Dear Nora, what about the skirt for stockinette knitting and in a round? Thank you for romanticing the lace knitting ! Now I see it in a new light because I also tried it with the Let's Do It approach and I failed 😊
Love this KAL so far, I needed it! So far for #stashbustspring, I have completed one tank (the 6-in-1 by oops and loops that’s currently in testing) and am also currently making a pair of vanilla socks (I have so much hand knit sock yarn in stash!) as well as another test knit (the simsala sweater by lakeknit, which is busting my mohair/suri stash)
Ahhhhh-mazing! Sounds like you’re not the only one with lots of sock yarn and not enough sock knitting…perhaps we need to find some other uses? I’m in the same boat!!
Stopping half way through your video. Question about the yarn for your lace vest. Have you been able to wash your swatch fully? Any improvements? I’m getting Wool Conditioning Shampoo from Apple yarns and The Laundress Wool Shampoo to see what effect different shampoos have on wool. Curious what you use and how it impacts the wool. So curious about t this yarn.
Ok, I don’t know if you like reading or if you do if you enjoy fantasy, but you should read Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. There’s a part about knitting and the magic of math and it’s so good all knitters should read it!
I feel kind of embarrassed that not everyone knits like this 😂. When following a chart I always speak out loud or make a little song or chant that I knit too. I thought that was normal 😅
Noooo! I’ve always done that to an extent-I think this chart is particularly not intuitive so I genuinely can only knit on it while home alone and sing my little song along the way! Totally normal!
Maybe the coned yarn was intended for weaving? I weave and knit. The coned weaving yarns feel so dry/stiff compared to most yarns intended for knitting. I still use them for knitting, but it’s definitely a different experience and fabric!
I'm just blocking first sweater I've made with yarn having spinning oil to it. I would describe the yarn dry. Like veeery veeery dry. So could it anyways be that? I'm no expert though so might as well not be. 😅
I feel your pain with the lace knitting. I am knitting a little knit dress for my grand daughter. I made so many mistakes as well. I learned that no distractions at all is the way to go. Counting and checking my stitches as I work out the pattern is very helpful. Best wishes the you lacy vest. You can do it! I have seen your work too. You got this!
I don't see stitch markers in your work. For me, I have to use stitch markers to mark the lace repeats. Yes, it may be 50 or more plus, but it helps me so much. I used to be a " i don't need no stinkin stitch markers. But now when every i do lace i have a liberal use of stitch markers. But with that all said, I lover you pattern flow scenarios.
I am always a big fan of stitch markers for repeats!! This project's lace repeat is done in a sort of brick lay fashion, so the markers were only relevant for one section at a time and I found them to be more distracting than helpful. That being said, it could be helpful to even just mark the halfway point so that I can gauge whether or not I am on track a little bit sooner!
Welcome to the flow state when you’re knitting. I find my best most enjoyable knitting happens when I give it my attention. And I enjoy it, and I allow myself to move with the pattern. And what we’re entering when we do that is called a flow state. And working on anything in a flow state is the most optimal way I have found to do anything. I think a lot of us do exactly what you described where were saying the pattern as we’re moving with the pattern whether out loud or internally. It’s a wonderful thing to knit in a flow state, I’m glad you found it. It’s extremely beneficial for your mental health and for helping soothe any kind of anxiety or feelings of being overwhelmed in our modern world I like it very much.
Omg I make up little songs and tunes while knitting all the time to remember and get in a rhythm !!
So funny we all do it!!
I love being part of your knitting journey. Your thoughts mirror my own. Your experience of knitting the lace is what knitting is all about. It’s the beauty and rhythm and meditative mindfulness that’s makes knitting therapeutic. There is room in our knitting lives for both project and process knitting. Enjoy the process!
I recommend using a lifeline for lace- it seems like a hassle but helps. I love using stitch markers for each repeat, you might try two different colors, one for each 'brick' position. Both could stay in place, just mark the lace chart with colored pencil/marker to match the corresponding stitch markers. I use A LOT of 'crutches' when I knit lace and it helps me when my mind wanders and I lose my place. Which is often😉
Stitches of love and intentions ❤️
Your Colorwork is absolutely gorgeous !!!!congrats on 9,000 what an amazing achievement ..can't wait to watch next week have a great week love ya. Aunt V.
Thank you!!!! Can’t believe we got here! Love you 💛
I spent the first few years of my knitting journey racing to knit through projects like it was my job and there was some penalty for not finishing them as soon as possible. It wasn’t my job and I quickly learned that the reason that I fell in love with knitting was because of the beautiful act of creating stitches with intention. This realization changed my outlook completely. I now work hard to fully savor my knitting practice (which is an amazing privilege) and I try to imbue each project with wonderful memories that greet me every time I wear them. ✨
I just have to say i really resonated with your idea of slowing down and being mindful about knitting. Im a new mum and baby is now 2 months old and i can say my knitting has really taken a hit. However, now whenever i get the chance to knit i am really appreciative of each stitch i get to make. Thank you for reminding us of this!
First of all congratulations! I hope you can find peace and every stitch-I can just imagine sweet knitting lullabies being sung to baby while you stitch away!! 💛
Re; the dry-feeling cone; have you tried giving your swatch a HOT soapy wash? Don't agitate too much, rinse in hot water, and dry it and see what it's like. In my experience cones can get dusty, and that combined with stale machine oil can make it crusty! Remember you can was wool in soap and hot water, just make sure you don't rinse cold and you'll be fine!
I am working on a lacy cowl right now and I have also had to learn the hard way that I can only do a couple rows at a time until my mind wanders or gets tired and I need to take a break.
Thank you so much for sharing your romanticized knitting technique. I listen to thunderstorms with a solo chello when I sleep or study. This week, I'm going to try knitting with that playing. What a fantastic perspective!
Oooh that sounds like the perfect chill background noise! I hope it works out!!
Congrats on the followers! In regards to the stockinette project: have you considered a felted bag for the hotdog yarn? I'm not sure that a skirt will fully mitigate the itchiness factor. You will need to find the ball band to ensure that the yarn is fully natural fiber. You could also cast on your stripe project with the autumnal yarn skeins. It would be a larger quantity than you were hoping to buy; but, you could buy yarn for the base color and that wouldn't technically break your stash bust spring rules
I love how you were conducting your stitches. That's just a beautiful way to create. Your color work sweater is absolutely stunning, and I want one. Congratulations 🎉 on 9k!!!! That's such an acknowledgment. Happy knotting💚🧶💚
Your sweater is adorable! I am so impressed that it’s your first colorwork.
Thank you!! I definitely still have a lot to learn, but I’m really happy with it!!
Congrats on 9,000+! 🎉 it’s things like your discovering how to slow down and dance with the stitches and your anything is possible cheery attitude that bring us back. I follow several knitting podcasts, but AKA Nora Knits and Wool Needles Hands are the only two that I never ever miss. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you so so much!! Aww that is so so kind--I genuinely appreciate it so much! Thank you!!
Your FIRST colorwork project is amazing! You are so brave and so talented. I am trying to become a better sock knitter, so I keep a pair of vanilla socks going at all times. That gives me stockinette knitting when I need it, but I try to use a really beautiful skein of yarn so that even though the knitting is mindless, I get so much joy each time I look at the yarn.
Thank you so much! I think I need to grab some 9in circulars to see if that will get my sock mojo going. I do love that idea to use particularly exciting yarn!
Congrats on the (now) 9.11k subs. Yours is an engaging and informative and thoughtful podcast. You deserve 10x the subs. Stick with it !
Thank you so so so much!!! That is so kind--thank you!!
I'm a very new knitter but a longtime pianist, you're for sure describing 'flow'! I hope to get to that level with knitting one day, for now my knitting is similar to when I was first learning the piano... clunky, missed notes, slamming the fallboard in frustration, etc. 😆
I love recognizing those parallels across hobbies! And what a a perfect reminder that everything has to start at the beginning and look how far you can go!
Thank you for showing the tub, I need a larger sink to block in and this is a much smaller and cost effective way to get that without going out to buy a new one! 🎉
Yay! I’m so glad it was helpful for you!
I love your musical knitting insight. 💕
Being a Yogini I sometimes will chant while knitting. The mantra depends on the project. This way the knit is infused with that energy.
I love that!!
Your new blocking tub also has a little hole on the side, so you could hang it on the wall somewhere if you want too. I love hanging things so I can see them.
You have to know how much we love your podcast. You are so fun to watch and the musician, dance, theme makes so much sense. I feel like this was a knitting Ted talk. Your sweater is beautiful and I noticed that in your pre blocking section you had a natural face. Just as beautiful with and without make up. Love your tub and basket. I took your suggestion and got the outdoor rocking chair. Im loving it. Thank you for your inspiration. Yay 9000. Not surprised.
Thank you so so so so SO much! Your comment about the Ted talk made me chuckle 😂 I’d love to host my own Ted talk! And thank you so much for saying that. I admit that I was a little nervous about posting such a stark before and after with and without makeup, so I genuinely do appreciate the compliment very much. YOU GOT THE CHAIR! I’m so excited we’re back in outdoor knitting season! Thank you all around. I really appreciate it 🥰
I completely understand your rhythm discovery. I have also learned this is best for me and even use it for sports like skiing.
My favorite thing is when aspects of different hobbies collide,
I needed to hear the “romanticizing your yarn” speech so much. That is how I am feeling on my colourwork skirt. I have been tinking almost every row. So I’m going to try your mentality!
Definitely do!!! I highly recommend being home alone or heading out to a park or something where you can just isolate yourself and focus solely on the knitting! Can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Talking about lace, I've taken a class and the gauge swatch for the stockinette was the same cast on amount as the lace swatch. Then, the teacher had us lay swatches on top of each of the swatches for comparison. It really worked because it is the same stitch count.
Nora, thanks so much for sharing! I can hardly wait for Saturday to see what you've been up to❤❤❤
You have entered the zen state of knitting with that lace 🕉 Love your videos!!!
I sure have!! I’m not great at staying so focused, but it’s great when I can!! Thank you 🥰
Oooooo!!! Fun!!! 🤩 I thought it was one entry per person, but I have three #stashbustspring projects, using yarn I’ve had in my stash for anywhere from 8 months to over a year!!! One project is using about 7 skeins (cable v-neck pullover), one is using 4 (Stephen West’s Exploration Station shawl) and one will probably use 3 (a summer Tee)…for a total of 14 skeins stash-busted & turned into gorgeous FOs!!! 🎉🎉🎉 I’m so excited for this encouragement to “shop from my stash” when I decide which project to start next. 🥰
Absolutely love your colorwork sweater. Perfect fit. One of the things I do when knitting is think about the people in my life that are facing challenges and saying prayers for them for health, healing etc. I also do the same with my own challenges and the world challenges. It is a good way of being mindful and making my projects mean something. Each stitch is a prayer for good.
Thank you!! That is so sweet-they are lucky to have you!
Thank you for your description of how you knitted lace. I’m prepping to knit lace for the first time, I think this process will help me and will be enjoyable as well 😊❤
I recommend a quiet corner and a little patience 💛 you’ll be great!!
Hi Nora, the Kromatic top on Ravelry is all stockinette in the round. Circular yolk and great for stash busting, I'm knitting on it now. Great podcast xx
Great to know!! Thank you!!
You are always such an inspiration!
Thank you so much 🥰
I absolutely loved hearing you talk about the process of knitting the lace on the Sari Nordlund tank and comparing it to a musician. It was beautiful! You have a way with words that is quite captivating!
Thank you so much 🥰
Hi Nora! I recommend the Summer Soufflé top by Laura Penrose. It’s the perfect stockinette in the round knit. I’ve really been enjoying your videos! Thank you for sharing!
I do love that design!! Thank you for the tip! And thank you!! 🥰
Loving the side by sides!! 🤎🤍
Isn’t it crazy?! I think I need to carve out a little time to put those out in some short form content. The beauty of blocking
#StashBustSpring Absolutely loving this project. So far I’ve finished an adult cardigan, two shrugs (1 kid, 1 toddler), and a sunglasses pouch! I’m currently working on a toddler sweater, a bucket hat, and an emotional support chicken 😍 thanks for hosting, it’s been very motivating!
I look forward to your video each week, you really do bring so much joy, thank you!
Thanks so much for being here 🥰
Another great episode! Re gauge swatching- for patterns with a repeat, I find it easier to measure the length of 1/2/3 repeats then dividing accordingly to get the 10cm gauge. For instance, if I have a 30 stitch repeat that takes 13.5cm to do once, that works out to 22.2 stitches per 10cm. I find it way easier to do it this way than to count stitches and have to decide what to do with half stitches etc. Just simple division :)
Well earned 9K subscribers! You videos are very entertaining and you definitely put more effort into them than most! You deserve super speedy growth on this channel. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so so so much! 🥰
I get what you mean about talking to yourself with lace, I made a Chevron baby blanket and I talked to myself like what you were saying and I enjoyed it.
It’s totally just a different element in knitting!
I love having a great podcast to look forward to on Saturday! I love you finished sweater! ❤❤
Thank you so much!!!
Love your new colorwork sweater! It came out beautiful; I'm tempted to make one, too,
Thank you!!! I highly recommend the pattern!!
I love your colour work sweater. The pie crust neck is delicious.
I am just completing my first colour work ( your plans for 2023 podcast definitely was the inspiration for this). Mine is in 12ply (chunky) yarn so being a bit loosey goosey doesn’t look too noticeable. I think blocking will make it really sing.
I am so grateful to you for being a brave newish knitter because it means if I see something I want to try and knit I now think WWND - what would Nora do!
Isn't that just so fun?? Thank you!
I should try colorwork in something chunkier next--thank you for sharing!!
WWND!!! 😂 okay I love that! Hahahaha thank you so much!!
I approach lace knitting the same. I talk to myself as I do the stiches. 😂😊
Another delightful video. ❤
Thank you!!
Your sweater looks lovely! Love your thoughts on your lace project. We're making beautiful things: we should take time over them and enjoy the process. I love your collapsible basin. Brilliant idea. Think I will look for one of them for myself. I am almost finished the first sleeve of my colour work jumper. So close to being done. I'm casting on a cardigan with luxury wool next 😊
I had to smile when you were talking about your lace knitting experience but that is always what happens to me. Step 1: knit a row. Step 2: tink back coz I've made a mistake. Step 3: rpt steps 1 and 2 over and over. Step 4: put knitting in the Naughty corner. Step 5: frog the whole thing. Step 6: start over and find it miraculously easier!
Beautiful job on your Azucena sweater. I had the pleasure of seeing this sweater and the designer at Vogue Knitting Live 2024. Definitely on my list this year. Enjoyable podcast as always and relatable when knitting lace. Listening to your podcast brought back wonderful memories of when I started knitting lace. Currently knitting a MKAL lace pattern with Roma Hill.
I've definitely done that rhythmic "dance" with more complicated crochet patterns. I never thought of it quite so romantically, though! I really think there's a beauty in frogging and starting over, where the first time through is a struggle, and the second time there's a patience and confidence to do it right.
Socks are mostly stockinette in the round and are portable, pretty quick gratification and could be a palette cleanser….and could use stash yarn you have shown us…❤Just saying 😉
I need to get some 9in circulars! I think that’s the only way I have a shot at becoming a sock knitter 😂
Your frustration with the vest reminded me of my frustration with a shawl I’ve been trying to knit. After hours spent trying to troubleshoot and fix it, knitting and then ripping out, then putting it in time out for a few months to only come back and get super frustrated again, I’ve made the call to frog it. I still want to make it at some point but for my own sanity I had to take it out of my WIPs and admit defeat for the time being. 😅
I totally think that’s the best solution sometimes!! Not every project is a good fit!!
Was watching a machine knitter and she mentioned an interesting fact. The yarns made for machine knitting are waxed (sometimes oiled) to keep the fluff down. So these swatches will really bloom once washed.
That is so so interesting!! I have a couple of other mystery cones that sound like they might have gone through this process as well!
Oh my gosh, Nora. I could sit and talk about the frustrations, challenges, and ultimate dance of knitting lace for hours! What you described has happened to me. "Oh, I'm at the end of a row, and I'm a stitch off, no biggie, just add one and keep going." It doesn't work. I am going to think about my knitting as a musical instrument from now on. I LOVE that. ❤🎻🪗🎷🥁🪇
I think it’s my crochet background that makes it seem so easy to just worry about those mistakes later 😂 we’ll all be swaying with our knitting from now on!!
@@akaNoraKnits Yes!! 😄
I've never thought about it in the same romantic light, but I always find myself turning my lace repeats into songs. 🎶Yarn over, knit two together, knit three, yarn over...🎶 I love that image of the violinist moving with their instrument!
For #StashBustSpring, I've finished a toddler dress and am now working on an improvised cardigan, both out of yarns that have been lingering in my stash for a year and a half now. It's been exciting to finally use them up!
That’s exactly what I do! I enjoy making the little knitting songs 😂 that is amazing that you’ve found ways to bust the deep stash!! I’m so glad you’re getting to!
OH MY GOSH I KNEW YOUR AZUCENA WOULD BE AMAZING ITS SO GOOD 😭
Eeeek! Isn’t she so sweet? I love it!!
Congrats on 9k, Nora!!! I’ve been here since Ep 1 and while I’m not surprised at all by your success, I’m very excited for you 🥳🥳 thanks for sharing your joy with us each week!
Thank you so much!!!
Congratulations on 9,000! You have earned every single one! Great episode, especially the lace focus. It is super hard in today's world to shut out and truly concentrate and when it happens it can be magic. Maybe for your stockinette project you can knit up a ribbed hat with the leftover yarn from your colorwork sweater, alternating like the beautiful ribbed cuffs and hem. Anyway, thanks for a lovely hour!
Being able to slow down and enjoy the process is one of the reasons I love knitting. Really helps me get into a more meditative state for my chaotic brain lol
For real! I have to find the balance of recognizing when my busy brain is ready to slow down and when it just cannot lol
Your Azucena is gorgeous! Such an elegant piece for your wardrobe. Your comparison of knitting and music is spot on. 3 of my 4 daughters are professional musicians (pianist/conductor, violinist, and cellist). When they become comfortable with a piece of music, you can see the expression come through their body movement as if the music is flowing through them effortlessly. It does seem that when we are fully present with our knitting, things just flow in the same way.
Lucky you!!!! That’s so magical! How cool that you can play your knitting needles alongside them 💛
It’s that rhythm that is the meditative, relaxing and stress reducing part of knitting! Yay for you! I totally found that out in my first mosaic pattern. Your sweater is just stunning!
Im knitting a ranunculus with yarn i bought last year for your kal! Thanks for your podcast 😊
Love that! Thank you for being here!!
Hi Nora!! Another great podcast. I love the sweater you had on. You are so talented. I could listen to you all day. How is that cutie pie Osi. see you next time.
Thank you!!! Osi is happily enjoying the sunny warm windows this season! She should make an appearance soon!!
I think this is one of your best episodes! I loved learning about how you took control of a difficult pattern and your new tools to make knitting streamlined! I just loved it!
Aw thank you so so much 🥰
i’m a very monogamous knitter who only buys yarn when i intend on casting on a project but i did have some stash from a scarf i intended on knitting and never did. i’m currently making the audrey top with it because i needed a mindless knit for some super long flights im taking this week! #stashbustspring
Congrats on the milestone. Always love watching with my knitting and coffee.
Thank you so so much!! ☕️
44:29 for me, knitting lace is so much exactly as knitting cables. I don’t usually do anything much more than following the chart or following the instruction. It’s never been a mindless knit for a cable or lace for me. I always put the chart or the pattern in front of me to be focused, it’s not time for watching or listening to any podcasts or my thoughts. And sometimes I only need that I need to zone out from other things just focus on knitting not anything else.
So interesting how everyone is different! I’ve always found a rhythm with cables that gets more and more comfortable for me. Lace, on the other hand, constantly keeps me on my toes! I appreciate the opportunity to turn off the outside noise though!
#StashBustSpring I have completed the bubble wrap sweater, a chemo hat, two little boy vests and a soap saver and wash cloth. I am feeling productive!
Good morning! Coffee and knitting ready!
Good morning!!! Mine is in hand as well!!
You absolutely earned all those subscribers!! I knew from your first one that you were going to rule!! Love the "gingerbread" pullover and I'm going to a local yarn festival this weekend and buying yarn for it. I might try to do the pearls while knitting (or not!!). As far as lace, ugh, I feel ya!!! The latest lace shawl I was starting had YO and then purl which I'd forgotten means double YO's or the stitch ct. will be messed up. So frustrating!!! Frogged and repurposing the yarn into a Salty Air Tee by Samantha Guerin and I'm loving it. Love you, love your show. The other day my 5 yr old granddaughter named Nora called me and said, Its Nora and I immediately started singing your jingle!!
Thank you so much!!! I hope you were able to find yarn! It's seriously such a well-balanced fun knit!! That kind of little mix up would have me sending the project into the corner too 😂 I'm glad you found a great solution for it!! Thank you so much! That is too funny about little Nora!!! I love hearing stories like that--thank you so much! Please tell little Miss Nora that I say hey!!
Oh Nora, thank you for normalizing making mistakes along your knitting journey. I'm going through a similar thing with my Cumulus tee, which I'm knitting in KFO pure silk on 2.75mm needles. I thought, oh, it's just a fingering weight raglan t-shirt, easy peasy! But as I was going, I kept realizing that my stitch counts on the two front chest panels were off...it's a V neck, so I knew if those were off, the V wouldn't be centered in my chest. I tried frogging back to a place where I thought I could fix it several times over several days, but no matter what I did to try to fix it, purl-side increases, double increases, etc., it never evened out. I finally decided to frog completely back and start over...and I'm so grateful that I did. I must have miscounted my cast on, or where I placed the original raglan stitch markers, because now I'm about halfway back to what I frogged, and everything has worked out the way it always should have. If I've learned anything in my last year of knitting, it is absolutely worth taking my time to fix the issues when I see them instead of plowing through and hoping I'll know how to fix them later. I usually don't, and I always end up frogging back anyway. Normalizing that part of this journey has allowed me to have so much more grace for myself.
Please please please continue to allow yourself to make the mistakes and learn from them!!! I promise you are not the only one, we all do it and it’s just part of the process!! I’m so proud of you for chugging along and am so glad you’ve found that grace! 💛
I totally agree on cable/lace knitting, find the rhythm of the stitches and turn it into a dance ... I find classic music is what I listen to and get in the the romanticized mode....
I love that! I tried listening to instrumentals and I still found it too distracting 😅
Hi Nora! Love your sweater - definite gingerbread man vibes 🙂 Having fun knitting from stash at the moment - using an undyed yarn and some beautiful local-to-me dyed yarn to make a pressed flowers shawl for my Auntie's birthday. Also learning to crochet and trying my hand at the mystical lanterns motif rather than just a basic granny square, so decided to use some mystery merino/nylon minis held double. Good luck with your lace knitting! Love the knitting dance 💛
Welcome to Mindful Knitting. Your description of your lace knitting dance reminded me of what that concept means. Enjoy. It's looking good. You're a talented knitter, Nora.
Thank you so much 🥰
Here in the first hour!
#StashBustSpring goes well so far for me, I have started and finished the Soda Fountain top from drops design with 250 Gr from stash and now I knit on Daisy lane top also from stash, thank you very much for starting this challenge!
Woohoo!!!! I’m so glad it’s working for you!!
I get the mindful knitting thing. I have a few strategies for when my head and hands are not connecting or I am struggling with a more difficult stitch and everything keeps going wrong.
One is an internal monologue where I 'narrate' my stitches as if I was giving an online tutorial - it really makes me focus on getting those stitches right, paying attention and really 'seeing' the stitches as I knit them being mindful of the best technique.
Another, because I am terrible at counting and lose track way too easily, I do something like count out loud in a foreign accent (my current project, I am doing counts in a welsh accent for example). It means I have to focus on what each number sounds like and I am less likely to skip or forget numbers. Both mean I am entirely fixed on what I am doing and all those intrusive thoughts go away. I guess that sounds completely insane...but whatever works, right?
Congratulations, Nora.
Love any easy Sophie scarf and Italian summer scarf for easy knitting
I do need to try those!
I love the “toolbox” 🥰 I need one of those in my life! 😀
Such a game changer!!
Spinning oil tends to feel dry 😊 it can make the yarn feel papery
I need a tactile glossary of what all these things feel and smell like 😂
Congratulations on achieving 9000 subscribers 🎉
Thank you!!!
Love the rhythmic romantic knitting, I do that with crochet sometimes too and it can be so cathartic
It really makes things so enjoyable and peaceful too!
Now that you've learned to recognize how your lace pattern connects, reading lace gauge will be easier for you! You know how many stitches are in your repeat, so measure between the same place in the pattern (usually some central or recognizable column of stitches travelling through the pattern) across a couple of the repeats. Know you know how many stitches that was (maybe you measured 3 of a 8 stitch repeat - that's 24 st!) and know how long you measured, and you can math it around to however the pattern gave you gauge. Maybe across those 24 st you measured 4.75 inches - That would give you about 20 st in 4 in if that is the way the pattern gave you gauge (some lace patterns will instead tell you that 1 repeat = 1.25 in or something like that)
Dear Nora, what about the skirt for stockinette knitting and in a round?
Thank you for romanticing the lace knitting ! Now I see it in a new light because I also tried it with the Let's Do It approach and I failed 😊
Love this KAL so far, I needed it! So far for #stashbustspring, I have completed one tank (the 6-in-1 by oops and loops that’s currently in testing) and am also currently making a pair of vanilla socks (I have so much hand knit sock yarn in stash!) as well as another test knit (the simsala sweater by lakeknit, which is busting my mohair/suri stash)
Wow congratulations that is allot !!!
Ahhhhh-mazing! Sounds like you’re not the only one with lots of sock yarn and not enough sock knitting…perhaps we need to find some other uses? I’m in the same boat!!
STASH BUST SPRING
I have a lot of sock yarn, so I am knitting a Flax light scrappy sweater!
Oooh I love that idea!!
Woo Hoo…Congratulations on your 9,000 subscribers 🎉
Thank you so so much!!!
Stopping half way through your video. Question about the yarn for your lace vest. Have you been able to wash your swatch fully? Any improvements? I’m getting Wool Conditioning Shampoo from Apple yarns and The Laundress Wool Shampoo to see what effect different shampoos have on wool. Curious what you use and how it impacts the wool. So curious about t this yarn.
Ok, I don’t know if you like reading or if you do if you enjoy fantasy, but you should read Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. There’s a part about knitting and the magic of math and it’s so good all knitters should read it!
Thank you for the suggestion!!!!
I feel kind of embarrassed that not everyone knits like this 😂. When following a chart I always speak out loud or make a little song or chant that I knit too. I thought that was normal 😅
Noooo! I’ve always done that to an extent-I think this chart is particularly not intuitive so I genuinely can only knit on it while home alone and sing my little song along the way! Totally normal!
Congrats on 9k!! 🎉
Thank you!!!
Maybe the coned yarn was intended for weaving? I weave and knit. The coned weaving yarns feel so dry/stiff compared to most yarns intended for knitting. I still use them for knitting, but it’s definitely a different experience and fabric!
That's such interesting insight! Totally could be the case!!
🥰
#stashbustspring I am working on the Sophie Scarf in Plymouth Yarn 50% organic Pima Cotton/ 50% Merino wool in Periwinkle.
Great stash buster!!
I'm just blocking first sweater I've made with yarn having spinning oil to it. I would describe the yarn dry. Like veeery veeery dry. So could it anyways be that? I'm no expert though so might as well not be. 😅
You're so sweet. Great podcast!
Thank you so much!
I feel your pain with the lace knitting. I am knitting a little knit dress for my grand daughter. I made so many mistakes as well. I learned that no distractions at all is the way to go. Counting and checking my stitches as I work out the pattern is very helpful. Best wishes the you lacy vest. You can do it! I have seen your work too. You got this!
That sounds adorable! Some projects just require full concentration. I’ve got my fingers crossed! Thank you!!
For #stashbustspring I broke into some dk cotton for a test knit for slow knits by Elina called the sunrise top
Oooh we love when the cotton can come out of stash!!
You are completely normal. I often have to "sing" my lace chart.
It's just another fun element of the craft!!
I don't see stitch markers in your work. For me, I have to use stitch markers to mark the lace repeats. Yes, it may be 50 or more plus, but it helps me so much. I used to be a " i don't need no stinkin stitch markers. But now when every i do lace i have a liberal use of stitch markers. But with that all said, I lover you pattern flow scenarios.
I am always a big fan of stitch markers for repeats!! This project's lace repeat is done in a sort of brick lay fashion, so the markers were only relevant for one section at a time and I found them to be more distracting than helpful. That being said, it could be helpful to even just mark the halfway point so that I can gauge whether or not I am on track a little bit sooner!
😍🌷☀🧶✨🤩❤❤❤